Scoring sweet swag, reviewing awesome products and living the rad mom life.

Posts tagged ‘books’

What does the word “hero” mean to you? Maybe you think of someone who fights crime, dresses in costume, or someone with an intimidating name. Or maybe you think of someone who saves people, stands up for what is right or acts selflessly. Either way, whether we know it or not, real life heroes and heroines are a big part of history and now we have books that highlight these special people.

National Geographic Kids has compiled a list of real life heroes and heroines and conveys them in a way that is relatable to kids! These hardcover books are aimed at kids aged 8-12, but I did try and discuss them a little with my almost 4-year-old. And my almost 2-year-old enjoyed flipping through the books and looking at all of the colorful pictures.

And something else awesome happened….I enjoyed reading the books myself! History is probably my least favorite subject, but I liked how the book was organized in a way where you could easily read all of the facts about each person. I was familiar with most of the people in the book, but I was introduced to some new heroes and heroines as well! I was also intrigued by many of the men and women in each book and it inspired me to learn more about their stories.

I liked that the books highlighted important people from all genres, backgrounds and categories. Some I had never even thought of as heroes and heroines before…like animals! Yes, there is an animal section and I love it!

Within the Heroes Book, there is a little section that highlights “Gutsy Gals” and within the Heroines Book, there is a “Daring Dudes” section. I think this is an interesting aspect of the books that highlights the importance of each gender.

And my daughter was super excited to see her favorite superhero showcased in the book!

Yep, Wonder Woman! She has a Wonder Woman costume from a couple of Halloweens ago, but she loves putting the costume on sometimes and pretending to save the day!

Another cool thing about the books is that they each end with an “Action Plan”. Basically there are suggestions for kids about simple ways they can be real life heroes and heroines in their own community.

While my kids are still a bit too young to really understand these books, I think they are good to have on hand so I can show them how real life heroes and heroines can be present in our everyday lives.

Overall, I think these books are a great learning tool and educational resources for kids. They are great to keep in your book collection and they would also make great gifts!

What qualities do you look for in a hero or heroine? Try asking your kiddos and see what types of responses you get!

*Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Moms Meet , May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I have agreed to use this product and post my honest opinion. The opinions posted are my own.

In case you didn’t have children (or weren’t a super nerd like me), March 2nd is the birthday of Mr. Theodore Geisel a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. And every year , The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido holds an event to celebrate Mr. Cat in the Hat himself as well as “Read Across America Day”. I personally love Dr. Seuss (probably way more than my kids) so I was super stoked to learn about this event! I’m also a huge fan of this museum so I was super duper stoked when I found out that a Dr. Seuss event was being held at this venue. Bonus: the museum offers half price admission for military families! Score!

It was a fairly crowded day due to the event, but not crazy packed. Parking was a bit difficult, but I later learned that more parking was available at the nearby Center for the Arts. For those of you that don’t know, parking is minimal in San Diego. I’m pretty sure it’s the city’s goal to make everyone take public transportation. And my first rule for parallel parking is to park someplace else. I probably could do a whole ‘nother post on the parking sitch around here, but anywho…I digress. Luckily, it was a nice day so I didn’t mind walking a few blocks. Once we checked in, we found fun activities inspired from various Dr. Seuss books spread all throughout the museum.

I liked that they offered activities for various ages and the staff was super friendly and helpful. There was even a visit from a special friend! What up!
Besides the special activities and programs, the museum offers tons of fun areas for kids to exercise their creativity and imagination muscles. I really like that this museum encourages so much exploration, sensory, and pretend play both indoors and outdoors. Also, the museum periodically chooses a country for the kids to explore. This month is Korea.

In addition to the activities, a volunteer from Words Alive came to read stories to all of the kids for this special event. It’s a great organization with a mission to create a love for reading in both children and families all over San Diego County. P.S. They are looking for volunteers! This would be a great opportunity for book lovers and those looking to get experience in the education field.

So what was the SWAG?

-Each family that RSVP’d was able to choose from a variety of Dr. Seuss books.

-Sweet Bookmarks

-Dr. Bronner’s full-size soap sample. This soap has so many uses! Check out all of the benefits here. *This item wasn’t part of the event, it was just something the museum was giving out this day.

-Free coffee *The museum always offers free coffee. ❤

Overall, I would say this was a successful event! My kids had an amazing time and I was able to socialize with some other great moms. I’m sure I will be posting more about this awesome museum in the future!

So in honor of National Read Across America Day, I will leave you with this Dr. Seuss quote from one of my fave books, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Happy 112th Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Also, if you are ever in La Jolla go see the “Dr. Seuss” tree in Ellen Browning Scripps Park. Supposedly this tree along with other plants and animals in the area inspired some of his works. His widow still resides in their La Jolla home and he is honored all over San Diego County.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween and got lots of candy swag! 😉 Now for part 2 of the WOW Summit that I attended last weekend. Once we returned from the break and visiting all of the wonderful vendors, we met back in the ballroom to listen to Drs. Greenspan and Deardorff speak about environmental issues regarding puberty. They were very informative and gave out copies of their new book, “The New Puberty” to a few lucky attendees! Check out their new book here!

Next, we split up into groups and attended various workshops. The first one I attended was called, “Rid, Restock and Reorganize: Simple Ways to Detox Your Home” by Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD. You may have seen her on various talk shows such as “LIVE with Kelly and Michael” and she also has a new book out called, “Eat Clean, Stay Lean’. She gave us a lot of great tips about how to replace junk in our fridges and pantries with healthier options! Check her out!

The next workshop I attended was basically a nutrition and fitness class presented by someone from Smart Flour Foods and personal trainer Jill Anenberg. She had lots of energy and great information! Follow her on YouTube and Instagram!

After the workshops we went back to the ballroom to hear one last speaker and wait for the raffle giveaways! Sadly, I did not win anything but that’s okay because I had so much fun and scored tons of swag! So the last person to speak was Kimberly Blaine a.k.a. The Go To Mom and she discussed ways for moms to have more awareness in the moment. She was super inspirational and she had a sense of calmness about her that was quite reassuring. She reminded us that we need to give and take love in order to better ourselves. It was a perfect ending to the day! And check out The Go To Mom on Twitter and Instagram.

Then we waited in this long line for our amazing swag bags….

But that’s okay, it was totally worth it! 😉

Now, for what you all have been waiting for…the SWAG!

Yes, it was that much!! And all of the vendors were super friendly and generous. I also got a lot of coupons for free items that I can’t wait to cash in on! I’m not going to list everything out on this one because it would be overwhelming. But, you can check out my Instagram where I tagged most of the brands! This was a fabulous experience and if you get the chance to attend one of these events, definitely jump all over it! You will meet lots of great people and have the opportunity to try out different healthy brands! Thanks again Green Moms Meet and Kiwi Magazine!